Building Strength and Loving It!

Case Study: Kathy Scheen

The Challenge

At 54 years of age, Kathy Scheen has always been an active person. Earlier in life, she did a lot of weight training and running to keep fit and healthy. But at age 52, she found herself out of the groove. She had let her exercise regimen wane and she had become weak, finding exercise to be a chore even though she knew how important it was. Kathy had tried yoga several times before, including hot yoga. “I really wanted to like it, Kathy said, “but I just found it to be boring, and I didn’t like the heat.”

On a whim, she decided to buy a Groupon for yoga classes at Yoga Integrated Science™ Wellness Center after liking what she read.

The Solution

Kathy waited until the last week before her Groupon expired to finally try a class. She was surprised by how much she liked it. She continued to go, trying out all of the different types of classes. “I just fell in love with it,” Kathy said. “The more I went, the more I liked it! I really liked the instructors. They are so knowledgeable, and they want to see you do your best. There’s a community aspect too that makes it a nice place to be.”

When Kathy’s Groupon expired, she immediately enrolled in the monthly auto-debit to have access to unlimited monthly classes. “The variety of classes really fit me. I never get bored,” said Kathy. “It’s so different than any other studio. There is such a focus on proper form and body mechanics. It’s not just up, down, up, down. There is more thoughtfulness behind the poses, especially around maintaining alignment and respecting your body’s conditions. I have learned that moving farther into poses is not necessarily better, it’s just farther. Everybody is different and they really reinforce that.”

Getting Results

Kathy was dealing with some pain in her hip and shoulders and was told by an orthopedic doctor that she had tendonitis, needed ibuprophen for a time, and eventually may need a cortisone injection for pain. Kathy chose to take control of her health and began Muscle Activation Techniques™ (MAT) with Lauren. She also added personal training with resistance training equipment to her regular yoga classes at the studio. This holistic approach enabled Kathy to identify muscular weaknesses and learn how to overcome them through a variety of strength building approaches that she has learned from Yoga Integrated Science™ Wellness Center.

The Results Keep Coming…

Kathy loves the challenge of learning new things and enjoys seeing her progress. “I can now do the crow pose, and I can do more push-ups too,” Kathy said. “My balance has improved as well. I would say I’m over 50% stronger than when I started.”

She has also noticed a greater sense of calm in her daily life. “My husband actually noticed that I am more relaxed and happier. I’m able to take things more in stride than I used to.” Kathy said. “I like the meditation and mindfulness aspects of the classes. This has made a difference too.”

After being introduced to Yoga Integrated Science™, Kathy now considers yoga to be a very important aspect to maintaining her health. “I will continue to do yoga for the rest of my life. Being this strong will protect me from future injury and will keep my body young. I’m not as worried about getting older. I feel much better about my future health and well-being.”